The Philadelphia Inquirer published a heartbreaking story today about the death of Khalil Wimes.The article, titled 'How city agencies failed to save 6-year-old Khalil", provides a haunting description of the horrific abuse that Khalil suffered at the hands of his biological parents, Floyd Wimes and Tina Cuffie.

It's common knowledge that if we don't give our youth a safe environment to learn, then the tragedies we fear are bound to happen.

Darnell "Dynasty" Young, a 17-year-old high school student at Arsenal Tech High School in Indianapolis, was expelled from school for bringing a stun gun to protect himself from bullies who would constantly harass him for being gay. Darnell's mother gave him the stun gun because the school refused to intervene, causing him to be the victim of name calling and physical abuse for over three years.

I for one care! I believe the presence of fathers matter, not only to their children, but their families, and communities as well. In that regard, I am committed to formal family formation by men wanting to start families by having children, and the reunification of men who are already fathers but have been estranged from their children and families.